Queen of Arcadia: Return of the Ice Queen
by Lady Razeli
Summary: Installment three of QoA and Xena is back and happy, but now she must face an icy foe in order to save her home and the people she cares so deeply about.
1. Love

Queen of Arcadia

Return of the Ice Queen

By

Lady Razeli

Disclaimer: I do not own Xena, MCA Universal does.

Love

Drake and Xena fell back onto their bed exhausted; ruling over two kingdoms was not an easy task. Lucky for them Xena could see to mostly matters concerning Glacial as well as the duties of a Princess in Sultry. It had been five years since Xena had returned to Arcadia, the country her husband, Drake of Arcadia, had been born and raised to rule. Since her return she had found out who her real father was, learned her true family history, which had led to her realizing she was of true Royal blood in a country so hot the sun couldn't compete with it. She also learned that she had been wrongfully betrothed to the heir of the archduchy of Glacial. Within weeks of her return she had been kidnapped and even tapped into a host of power she wasn't expected to gain until she was a true Queen. The wars had been terrible on the lands, but now they were recovering.

So many responsibilities and they somehow had to make time for three needy children. Xena's eldest was Llyr, she had adopted him during the second time she was kidnapped. Her captor had drugged her and taken her all the way into Queensland. A land so wild that the men and women shape shifted into wolves; they had no respect for women there, but Xena had changed that at least where she was concerned. Llyr had attached himself to her and she him, how could she let him go, and how could he stay away? Llyr was now seven years old and while she groomed him to fit in among those unlike him she tried to see to it that if he ever went back to Queensland he would not be shunned, it was hard, but thanks to the treaty they now had with Queensland it was easier to ensure.

Xena's second eldest was the beautiful Princess, Eve. Eve had been born in Greece where Xena had grown up ignorant to her true heritage. The Gods had hunted Eve there, but thanks to Ving and Caesar it was safe to say she could travel in both realms safely now. Xena had been happy to take Eve back to Arcadia where no God could hunt her and best of all she would get to know her father as well. Eve had long auburn red hair that framed her face beautifully and gorgeous blue eyes that could only be like her mother's. Eve now proudly claimed the age of five.

Xena's youngest however and baby of the family was Melody. Melody was a gorgeous blond with ice blue eyes that made you shiver, no one liked to get her mad. She too had been born under unusual circumstances. During her first kidnapping by the Archduke Ubel, his mother had put a spell on her to turn her back into a virgin, the spell was sloppy with horrible side effects. To ensure her son's seed spread on the spell also made it possible that she should

somehow get pregnant if Ubel should die, fortunately for herself and Drake, it was Drake's essence that got passed on Melody was born.

"Please tell me we can go straight to bed?" Drake asked Xena.

"Why are you even asking you know we can't, our duties as monarchs may be over, but our duties as parents never are." Drake sighed and nodded. He just wanted to get some sleep, but that was still out of the question.

"When is our day off?"

"You'll have to ask Lord Bosley about your schedule."

"There's so much to do, I've got agricultural problems left and right, the people aren't happy with me giving lands away to the Amazons."

"No one is happy, they have to play a bigger role in the kingdom, people have to think, that our way of life can't continue without them."

"Glacial pitching a fit as well?" Xena nodded.

"The only ones not pitching a fit is Sultry, they're use to women in charge." Drake nodded.

"How is Gabrielle taking it?"

"She's handling it well, right now there's no open violence which is good, and I need to keep it that way."

"How are the crops in Glacial?" Drake asked.

"Poor really, one day you have a good harvest the next it's gone bad, we need a new plan. I'm trying to educate myself better on how it's done. Evzenek is doing a great job relaying orders and making them happen."

"The dragons?" Drake asked her.

"Recovering definitely getting better according to Izo when he comes to train Melody and I. Poor guy he has to go to Sultry for mother's lessons as well and than back to Glacial. It's good thing that Isolde will complete her Master's soon."

"Will she station herself here?" Drake asked. Xena nodded.

"Izo needs to be in Glacial, she will remain here our court master of Ice."

"I have a meeting with Ryoma and Jiao-long now that you remind me." Drake and Xena attempted to split duties. Drake took care of agriculture and court duties and things along that line except in Glacial. Xena took care of the dragons and the amazons except in Arcadia.

"Hey if you can take over the amazon situation here, I can relieve you of agricultural stuff in Glacial."

"Done deal," Xena told him without hesitation. After a few moments they got up and went to spend time with their children who were more than eager to play with them and tell them about their lessons and day.

"Who are you?" Xena asked. After their last war placing orphans had not been a huge priority for anyone. The war had caused for sudden mobilization it seemed and Ubel had disrupted a lot of lives.

"Maggie Fletcher." Xena made sure that she got her child back and they had a place to live. Eve walked in and sat down on her little stool with a feathered pillow on top, it wasn't uncommon for her or Llyr to come in and listen to these court things.

"Bring out the children." They nodded and the children recognized their mother immediately they gathered their things and were taken home. It was unfortunate, but a lot of children no longer had parents, the orphanages however we clearing and less were living in their palaces. They had even managed to move back into the newly finished capital of Illusia.

"I daresay today was a happier one," Lady Emily commented. Xena nodded as her ladies of Arcadia: Lady Emily, Lady Clara, Lady Agnes, Lady Elizabeth, Lady Sonya, and Lady Tabitha, her youngest began to help her change. Her ladies from Glacial: Lady Nava, Lady Eira, Lady Gwyneira, Lady Eirlys, Lady Eirwen, Lady Polara had taken care of her bath. Her ladies from Sultry: Lady Daphne, Lady Blair, Lady Crystal, Lady Lalainia, Lady Isabella, Lady Saffron had her dressed and out of the door in no time. Ladies Galena of Arcadia and Aithne hadn't worked out very well mostly because she couldn't fine one more lady of Glacial who didn't break her ankle at the slightest run. Depending the country she frequented those ladies were the heads of her ladies. Otherwise she promoted Emily, Daphne, and Nava getting along.

"What's next?" Xena asked.

"Wedding plans," Lady Tabitha told her. Xena nodded. Tabitha had only been thirteen when she first came to Xena and to protect her Xena had arranged a betrothal. Now at seventeen, Tabitha, had made the decision to keep that betrothal, it turned out that her and William were a very good match.

"Oh okay good, how are the plans so far?"

"Oh awful my Queen I never thought you went through this much for your own wedding."

"Yes, it's different when you must handle everything. The princess has agreed to be the flower girl?" Tabitha nodded.

"Both of them, they were about to fight over who had the honor." Xena shook her head.

"God help those two, they're always…" She was cut off as the sound of a door being taken off it's hinges it seemed was heard. Everyone raced towards the sound to see Melody throwing energy balls at a black dog that wasn't the royal pet.

"Eve, Melody!" Xena yelled. They both froze although Eve kept growling at Melody who still had a ball of energy in hand.

"Get over here right now, right in front of me." They both heard the tone in their mother's voice and dared not disobey her, but they watched the other. "Melody so help me if you don't put that energy ball away and you Eve will take human form this instant!"

"She started it!" They cried.

"I don't care who started what this time," Xena told them. "This is the fourth time this week and as I told you before if you fought again and damaged something again I would tan your backsides and that is what's going to happen so march right now back into the nursery."

"Oh mommy no please," They cried. "We'll be good." Xena wouldn't listen to them though as she took them by the ear into the nursery just as Drake arrived.

"Daddy," Eve got loose and ran behind him. Xena frowned and turned to Eve as she still held Melody.

"You'll do well to get your backside back over here," Xena told her.

"What's happening now?" Drake asked.

"They were fighting again about what I don't know or care until after I follow through with my threat." Drake sighed and frowned at both his wayward princesses.

"No, no you don't need to spank them," Drake told her as both Melody and Eve started look relieved that their Daddy would get them out of trouble once more as he always did. Xena shook her head.

"No, not this time, I usually let you talk me out of it, but not this time," Xena told him.

"I'm not trying to talk you out of it," Drake told her. "I'll do it this time, you're running around enough as it is you don't need to spank them too in your condition." Xena made a face.

"I'm only four months along really this isn't that big a deal for me. I rode a horse while I was pregnant with Eve as if I weren't."

"I'm sure you did, but you have a lot more duties here, please go take it easy with the wedding plans I'll handle this." Xena released Melody to Drake, but she stayed to make sure they were punished and punished they were to their disappointment and tears.

"Both of you are grounded," Xena told them as she directed servants to their toys. You'll study the entire time your grounded. That also means no shapeshifting or any other type of magic," Xena informed them. "If I catch you doing any magic, I will be the one to spank you understood?" They nodded.

"It's not fair I can't pleasure read, but she gets to keep her music," Eve whined. "Xena looked at the piano Melody had asked for in the nursery. She used a spell and through it at the piano.

"No experimenting just your scales and what the teacher as assigned you." Melody groaned and looked like she wanted to shove Eve. "Don't you dare not after you just got punished for that type of behavior, if you two can go forty-eight hours without fighting of any kind with one another I just might lift you ban early."

"Daddy," Eve whined. Drake shook his head.

"Your mother has spoken and she's quite right to punish you, I can't help you." Eve groaned and went to her bed to sulk. Drake and Xena walked out of the door that servants were now fixing again.

"What am I going to do with those two," Xena sighed.

"Love them like we always do, they'll grow out of it I'm sure." Xena nodded.

"I hope so, the last thing I need is three children that fight, when this one gets here, just to torture me she'll start."

"Or he," Drake told her. Xena nodded. "Have you decided where to have the baby?"

"Well it's Sultry tradition that the Princess after her wedding has her first born child at home, and since Eve missed out Father thought now is a good a time as any to do the whole ceremony and such." Drake nodded.

"Hey come with me I want to show you something." He pulled her into a side corridor quickly before her ladies or his attendants noticed. They started freaking out as they began looking for them.

"What are you doing?" Xena asked when they had passed.

"Shs come with me." He took them back to his bedroom.

"So we're in your bedroom, I've been in here a thousand times," Xena told him. Drake grinned.

"What a man can't make love to his beautiful bride?" Xena chuckled.

"No, but he can make love to his wife," Xena replied as he kissed her. They quietly and happily made love before everyone figured out where they were and what they were doing and stopped fussing over them.

"You stop," Drake told her.

"No you stop," Xena replied back. It was after dinner and they were playing cards. According to Drake she was smirking way too much for his liking as if she were up to something so she just accused him of doing the same just for fun.

"Stop looking at me that way, you know that leads to one thought which leads to another." Xena smirked, but didn't say anything. "Oh come on are you going to do that all night?"

"I can do a lot of things all night if you like." Drake blushed at her teasing it was the only time she could get him to blush it was in private just them. He didn't know why as if he were embarrassed in front of her, he supposed it was because she exposed everything about him and he wanted to be that raw in front of her so that nothing was hidden between them.

"You know you're sexy when you blush."

"Your sexy in the kimono you got as a gift." Xena shrugged letting it fall off her shoulder a little on purpose. "Ah! You're such a tease!" Xena laughed. She loved Drake so much it felt great to be with him, he was always making her laugh, and she couldn't help but feel her heart swell with love for him. Life without him had truly been hell and now she was in heaven.

"I can tease you some more if you like." Drake was about to answer when the gong began to ring. They both frowned and stood up.

"No, you stay here with the children, just for my peace of mind." Xena groaned. "Please just for me, I know you can handle yourself, but I'll worry less." Xena sighed and groaned some more.

"Dickhead." Drake couldn't help, but grin as he kissed her forehead.

"I know, I'm a huge one." He rushed out and Xena went to see about the children trying hard to act as if she were one of the many silly court ladies who ran and hid every time Rebels from the northern region decided to raid the city somehow. While they had built grand magical walls they weren't always up.

"My Queen please come with us to the parlour closer to the escape tunnels," Lady Nava told her. Xena nodded after she had changed. They never took any chances at the palace if somebody even if it was one lone man got through.

"You're not going out there are you?" Fiona asked. Xena shook her head.

"Drake has asked that I stay so I will do my best to honor his request, although I've made no promises," Xena commented. Her ladies entered ready for battle as was she. The girls and Llyr were already secure in their own clothing instead of their pajamas. Xena didn't think it was practical to gather them in their pajamas if they had time to change. Xena hadn't been there long when a soldier burst in.

"My Queen!"

"What?" Xena asked.

"The Rebels they're ice!"

"Ice?"


	2. Glacial

Glacial

"What the hell was that?" Drake asked Xena. Xena looked at him as if he had gone mad.

"I don't know what the hell it was Drake, I didn't see what was out there." Drake looked agitated.

"Oh well let me enlighten you oh Archduchess of Glacial it was an army of Ice soldiers and they were a warning the question is what was the warning. They shattered as soon as we cut them." Xena looked at him in disbelief.

"You really think I sent them?" Xena asked. "What have I to gain that I don't already have?" Drake didn't answer. "Exactly nothing, I'm already Queen with just as much power as you, my daughter is heir unless this is a boy, and I'll be Queen in my own right of another country. Conquest of this one would be ridiculous, I'd only be conquering myself." Drake seemed to realize his stupidity. "Did you forget you're also the Archduke of Glacial?"

"Forgive me my wife." He took her hand. "I just couldn't rationalize their appearance and you're the only connection." Xena sighed and took her hand away.

"Baby, you can't keep jumping to conclusions like this, anyway the warning is clearly from a sorcerer in Glacial. I'll head to Glacial right away to find out who, obviously they need their authority to be a little more closer in Glacial for awhile."

"Evzenek might know something or be behind it now that I think about it." Xena nodded.

"I trust Evzenek and I hope that I do not find evidence to break that trust. He has been a very good and loyal servant to me…to us." Xena started for the door.

"Head out in the morning we need rest, and the people need to see us tomorrow not just me." Xena nodded. That night was spent cuddled up together with their children around them.

"Melody you're too cold," Drake told her. Melody moved on the other side between Eve and Xena. "Eve you're too hot." Xena sighed and moved so she had her back to Drake, but cuddled with her girls who made each other a perfect temperature enough so they could sleep together. "Oh Xena you're just right." He snuggled closer making her chuckle.

"You're ridiculous you know that," Xena whispered. Drake responded by snuggling closer.

"Oh yeah just right." Xena almost considered making it too cold for him, but decided against it as his hand stroked her rounded belly.

* * *

"Will the baby be okay in that weather?" Fiona asked worriedly, she was hoping for a biological grandson, now that she reasoned she had two beautiful granddaughters.

"He or she should be fine, the doctors say the womb protects them from my powers in this unusual circumstance.

"Yes, there are many women from Glacial who have given birth to children fathered by Sultry men, I mean usually a child wouldn't hold both sets of powers in them like our Queen, but the womb protected them or else they would have died from such cold. It's one thing to be in the country, but you're practically dead inside it would be so cold."

"Thanks Lady Daphne for that wonderful image," Fiona said sarcastically. Lady Daphne grinned and rubbed her hair.

"Sorry mother says I should learn to shut up sometimes." Xena chuckled and patted her on the back.

"Only sometimes," Xena responded. She rubbed her belly as the baby fluttered around. He or she hadn't given her too much trouble yet, but that was expected. They said she wouldn't show signs of his or her power until the next month. It might possibly even throw her power out of whack as he or she decided.

"All right you better get going." Xena nodded to Drake before kissing her children goodbye to their sadness. She kissed Drake goodbye who also rubbed her stomach, he hated to be away from her during her pregnancy. He hadn't been there for her pregnancy with Eve, and Melody's had been so unexpected and quick hell he couldn't even call it that these days, so he wanted to experience something new that time.

"I'll come back in a month and a half for the baby's sake, so we can prepare for his or her delivery. If there are plots there I don't want to take any chances this time around." They nodded.

"For once we are in agreement dear," Fiona told her. They still had a love hate relationship, but it was better than it had been. Xena mounted her dragon as well as the others and her soldiers. She waved before taking off. The journey was long, but they enjoyed it as they headed for Glacial, she made a stop in Sultry at her grandmother and mother's request before she had to continue on. She did have a country to run and she couldn't do that with rebels.

"Welcome Archduchess," Evzenek greeted as he bowed deeply. Xena nodded her head as she had come in the back way. "Your lords gather as we speak."

"Thank you Evzenek, I will see myself bathed and out of travel clothes before I shall meet with them." He nodded and bowed deeply once more.

"I shall pass on the message my lady." She nodded and gave him a hug before he could go.

"It is nice to see you Evzenek." He smiled before bowed to her once more and left. They went to her rooms were Lady Nava and the others had already set up her bath. She was cleaned and helped to dress not that she needed it, but she only did it because it was better than watching them sitting around twiddling their thumbs. Xena looked like an absolute goddess when they were done and when she walked into the hall full of lords they didn't dare stay seated as they had whenever Drake walked in.

"You may be seated," Xena told them as she took her seat on what was once Ubel's throne, there was no throne for Drake as of yet the people had been refusing to build one saying it went against tradition. The lords sat looking at the formidable woman before them. They all papers on the small round tables in front them, two lords to a table, and ten in all. At least they were ten lords who mattered because they had the most men, and wives. Lady Nava, Lady Eira, Lady Gwyneira, Lady Eirlys, Lady Eirwen, and Lady Polara were from the six most powerful and oldest of families.

"The Archduchess will have you make your reports before we move on to our most pressing of business." They all made their reports in turn skimming through what Evzenek had already sent her, but going into detail with all the new information. She took it all in.

"That being said your grace, I would request that the palace farming techniques be given to our farmers, as per law Farming Act 103 Peasants and Nobles will not be allowed to use Palace techniques. As you know the Palace harvest is always good and develops new ways often to keep famine at bay. While we nobles have the privilege of eating here, none of the work around my estate is getting done when people are too weak." Xena gave Lord Abiel a small smile.

"You are the first thoughtful lord I have come across Lord Abiel Evzenek, have the papers drawn up to change the law, we shall see this country prosper." The other lords seemed to give a sigh of relief. They had been planning to usurp Ubel anyway and while they would prefer to be in power, their new Archduchess was turning out to be quite reasonable.

"Thank you your grace, but this was not my wish alone, but all of ours, his grace was quite unreasonable before your marriage." Xena nodded.

"Ubel was an idiot with a god complex trying to make up for his short stature," Xena told them. "Evzenek please find me all the laws like the one I wish to abolish."

"Yes your grace." Evzenek left out and they wait for him. She went through them all there were laws by Ubel stating that females were to be deflowered by him before marriage and if he wasn't satisfied he would deny them the right to marry.

"Excuse me your grace, we should best send back the convoy to Arcadia, where the girls were being sent to be deflowered for marriage." Xena groaned she could imagine how that would have looked to Drake.

"Please hurry," Xena told him. They sent runners to deliver the message. The next law to go was royal approval of all marriages concerning peasants.

"This is out, why should I concern myself with whom they choose to marry, and in any case I am also going to allow for peasants to marry into noble houses, also adoption laws will change as well. Orphans will be wards of the Archduchy there by making them noble blood it will enable you to pass on estates through adopted sons or daughters." They nodded. Xena only required approval of nobles for their marriage, because it was the same law that reined in Sultry and Arcadia.

"Archduchess you had come here for another matter," Lord Abiel reminded as the men began to pack up and Evzenek moved things out of Xena's way.

"Yes, indeed I did." The doors were shut by soldiers There were quite a few from Arcadia and Sultry that she could count on to always protect her. She showed good faith by allowing Glacial soldiers into Arcadia, although Sultry they had rebelled against going there.

"Three months ago Illussia was attacked by ice soldiers." They gasped.

"Ice soldiers your grace?" a Lord asked. She nodded.

"They disappeared as soon as they were struck, they were a warning so my question is which one of you sent the warning." She sat back looking at each and everyone of them as they suspected the other as well. There was no one who soon out as guilty and when they had given their answer of innocence she saw the truth.

"All right than if it wasn't any of you than some lesser lords perhaps that you know of?" Lord Abiel stepped forward as he was the speaker of the lords.

"Your grace, that would be impossible, they couldn't possibly achieve such a thing, warning in the form of non human ice soldiers takes powerful magic, your grace." He bowed as he spoke licking his lips.

"Well could a group of people harness their power to achieve such a feat?" He licked his lips again.

"No you're grace with the power of the Archduchy only you can." Xena frowned. He was half lying, a group of people could, but the question was who."

"Well someone is harboring a power of sorts, I put you in charge of finding out who, and if there's another attack on Arcadia or Sultry, I will be forced to assume that you my lords are behind it." They all gulped.

"I will make it my priority Archduchess." She nodded and stood up in clear dismissal of them as she walked out.

"Did you get any new leads?" Emily asked as she poured the last bucket of freezing water in the tub before letting Daphne heat it. Xena preferred cold baths, because the baby had begun fluxing her temperature during the journey, so depending on her temperature she could use certain aspects of her power. The power she had used before she knew of Sultry was even out of whack turning everything into flowers or daggers you never knew these days.

"Not really I'm still left with nothing," Xena told them as she wrote a letter to Drake. "I've set Lord Abiel to the task of finding out who with the threat of disposing of all my main lords should he fail to produce any leads and there's another attack."

"So you think he was lying about having nothing to do with it." Xena shook her head.

"No Lord Abiel I find is a very honest man, but he might be reluctant to hand over the true rebels. If anyone knows anything in this country it's those ten noble houses. Those houses have been ruling this country for centuries until Ubel's great-grandfather came to power and changed everything, and things have just gone downhill from there."

"But these men, they aren't their father's sons from Evzenek's reports," Lady Blair commented as she brought over her bathing things.

"No, no they aren't that's clear from the history books, but still they stand to gain much from breaking our hold on them. If they were to break from us they could rule once more. At the same time they find me a most agreeable and reasonable ruler. The laws I have abolished or rewritten today are laws they have been striving to band for almost a hundred years in some cases. Like the deflowering of their wives and daughters, here there is a bride price or if they've stolen her, the basic right of the man is that he deflowers the woman he captures to be his wife. It's a total break with tradition although from now on stealing a woman is illegal and not a marriage. Marriage will be formal from now on and it will be agreed upon by all."

"You hope."

"Yes, well I can't stop them forcing her to say yes, but I can try to make the circumstances more agreeable."

"I suppose that is all a woman can hope for in man driven countries, an agreeable circumstance," Lady Saffron sighed.

"My marriage to William won't be an agreeable circumstance," Lady Tabitha pointed out. They all smiled at her, she was so young and sheltered. They had cautioned her to wait and experiment perhaps, but she would only have her William.

"Well it was to start, you got very lucky that you love William and he loves you back," Xena told her. They all nodded.

"And you and the King, are you so lucky?" Xena nodded.

"We're very blessed Drake and I to have loved one another at the start." Xena finished her letter before folding it and dipping red wax on it and placing her seal on it. She set the letter by magic rather than messenger.

"And you Lady Agnes." Lady Agnes smiled.

"Sometimes you can grow to love your husband, and the circumstances were quite agreeable." Lady Elizabeth and Lady Sonya laughed as well as the others who by now knew how Lady Agnes had come to marry her husband.

"What?" Lady Tabitha asked as she helped Xena begin to undress.

"It's just Lord Overbearing found Lady Agnes and General Milton with her skirts up in the stock room in his merchant shop."

"She was only meant to be taking measurements to fit him with the right premade shirt," Lady Elizabeth laughed.

"So you see the circumstance that demanded my marriage to the Earl of Druid well, I think it was very agreeable." Everyone laughed including Lady Tabitha.

"When will you all see your wedding day?"

"As soon as I've had an agreeable circumstance," They all chuckled.

"And you Lady Clara will you marry Gabrielle." Lady Clara shrugged.

"It would be nice to marry a Queen, but I don't think Gabrielle is ready for such a thing."

"What does it matter, I saw you eying Ephiny the other day," Xena teased. Lady Clara and Gabrielle's relationship was quickly becoming a friendship, Xena figured that in the long run Gabrielle wouldn't agree with Lady Clara, however she could def see her with Ephiny, who probably wouldn't have minded.

"Oh so that's who we're interested in now," Lady Emily teased as Lady Nava and Lady Polara helped Xena into her bath. Lady Eira had her hands in the water turning it water alongside Daphne.

"You're one to talk with you and Daphne secret meetings." Daphne blushed a deep red as the same as Emily as they all laughed in good fun.

"Secret meetings," Lady Nava said upset. "As head of the Glacial ladies, I should think to be invited to such meetings." Lady Nava's words sit everyone including Xena into a fit of laughter even her own ladies.

"I'm sure you could uh make things warm," Lady Eira said surprising them all before they laughed as the play on words clicked in their head.

"You know actually that would make things a little easier," Lady Daphne commented lowly, but they all heard and wiped the tears from their eyes.

"Oh you ladies are impossible, I'm missing something again aren't I?" Lady Gwyneira came up and whispered into her ear before she took over the task of bathing with Lady Lalainia. Lady Nava went red in the face when she realized what they were talking about making them laugh more and give her a hug at how sheltered she was.

"You guys kill me," Xena chuckled.


End file.
